Silent-Shaft Smoothness, 96 bhp and Cornering Limits: 1976 dodge colt gt
Silent shafts smooth the engine
The Colt’s two-liter engine came with Mitsubishi’s Astron 80 silent shafts. They reduced the vibration and harshness typical of four-cylinder engines, complementing an aluminum cylinder head, hemispherical combustion chambers, cross-flow porting and an overhead camshaft.
The engine reached a peak of 96 bhp. Its exhaust was clean without an air pump or catalytic converter, according to the account. Silent shafts followed earlier updates: Detroit-influenced styling arrived in 1974, and the two-liter engine was added the previous year with a Torqueflite automatic transmission.
Economy and practical features
In Car and Driver’s mileage cycle, the Colt recorded 23.0 mpg in city driving and 25.5 mpg on the highway. Those results were about three mpg below the 1976 VW Rabbit, described as an economy leader, but the Colt could run on cheaper leaded fuel, including in California.
For 1976, Mitsubishi also placed the radio antenna in the decklid. Insulators at the latch and hinge allowed the metal panel to receive radio signals and send them to the receiver by cable. The design offered strong reception while leaving no exposed antenna for vandals to break.
GT trim falls short in corners
The Colt’s GT package included a tachometer, a five-speed transmission and 70-series radials, along with trim and paint stripes. It did not bring a meaningful improvement in agility over the standard car.
In corners, slow steering struggled with heavy understeer, while the carburetor could starve for fuel. The review judged the Colt more capable as a highway car than on winding, road-course-like routes, while suggesting Mitsubishi could respond to the handling shortcomings.
Key points
- The two-liter engine used silent shafts and produced a peak of 96 bhp.
- The Colt returned 23.0 mpg in the city and 25.5 mpg on the highway in testing.
- A decklid-integrated antenna offered strong reception without an exposed mast.
- GT equipment added a five-speed and tachometer but did not solve the car’s cornering problems.